Contact: Patrick Nicholson, Media Director, 020 7095 5559, pnicholson@cafod.org.uk; Nana Anto-Awuakye, Senior Media Officer, 020 7095 5560, nanto-awuakye@cafod.org.uk, both with  CAFOD

MOMBASA, Kenya, Dec. 5 /Standard Newswire/ -- CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) is supporting a local organisation in coastal Kenya as it races to stem the spread of an outbreak of cholera following the floods.

The public health officer in Mombasa district has reported 28 cases of cholera in three densely populated areas following the floods, that are said to have affected over 60,000 people in coastal provinces.

Today, CAFOD's partner, the Archdiocese of Mombasa, is distributing disinfectants and sample kits to enable communities to test and treat their wells and water tanks to prevent further transmission of the water-borne disease.

The Kenyan government has supplied chlorine but the public health office appealed to the Archdiocese for help with providing these vital chemicals and pieces of equipment to tackle the situation in Changamwe, Likoni and Kisauni divisions.

Medicines for cholera and diarrhoea are also being sent for people who are already sick.

Responding to this latest need is part of a joint Caritas programme that is assisting flood victims in both the Mombasa area on the coast and Garissa in Northern Kenya.

Since a team of people from the Caritas member agencies, CAFOD, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Caritas Kenya visited the flood-affected areas two weeks ago, a $475,000 or £250,000 joint response to assist 10,000 people has been in operation.

The programme, which includes ongoing distributions of plastic sheets, jerry cans, water purification tablets, mosquito nets, kitchen utensils and blankets to people who have lost everything is being run by the Archdiocese of Mombasa and the Diocese of Garissa with technical and financial support from the Caritas member agencies.

Nik Bredholt, CAFOD Humanitarian Coordinator said: "Through their links with communities at the grassroots, our partner organisations can tell us immediately how the situation is developing in the flood-affected areas.

"In the coastal region, people who lost their homes, livestock and harvests in the floods are now at risk of diseases such as cholera so it is vital that this equipment is distributed.

"Over the next months we plan to support the Archdiocese with sanitation and shelter for the victims".